The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has given its verdict on the decision of the Central Government to remove Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir.
The CJI said, “Article 370 was for the constitutional integration of Jammu and Kashmir with the Union and it was not for dissolution and the President can declare that Article 370 has ceased to exist. On Article 370, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court DY Chandrachud said that the decision to remove Article 370 will remain intact. He said that removing 370 is constitutionally correct. The President has the right to take decisions.”
We direct that statehood be restored to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible,” the CJI said.
Welcoming the verdict, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assures the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh that “our commitment to fulfilling your dreams remains unwavering.
Earlier, in the hearing that lasted for 16 days, the petitioners presented many arguments calling this decision of August 5, 2019 wrong. The Court has said that ‘the decision of August 5, 2019 was valid and it was for the integration of Jammu and Kashmir.’ At the same time, the Central Government also mentioned everything from the Constitution to the history of Kashmir in support of its decision in the Supreme Court.
On this, the bench of five senior judges headed by Supreme Court Chief Justice DY Chandrachud – Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Sanjeev Khanna, Justice BR Gavai and Justice Surya Kant reserved its decision on September 5 itself.
Article 370 verdict: the court heard Attorney General R Venkataramani, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, senior advocates Harish Salve, Rakesh Dwivedi and others on behalf of the Center and the intervenors defending the abrogation of Article 370.